Sikles Trek

Overview

Sikles occupies a unique position in Nepal's trekking landscape: it is the largest and oldest Gurung village in the country, home to over 500 households with a recorded history stretching back centuries, and yet almost no trekkers come here. The route from Begnas Lake — Pokhara's quieter eastern sibling — passes through forests that see a fraction of the foot traffic of the Poon Hill or ABC trails, and the approach through the Mardi Khola valley opens into a setting of genuine rural grandeur. The Gurung people of Sikles maintain one of the most intact traditional cultures in Nepal's hill districts. The village architecture — round stone houses with carved wooden windows and flat roofs — differs from most teahouse-circuit villages, which have been modernised by tourism income. Here, the terraced fields of millet, buckwheat, and maize are worked with traditional tools, water buffalo graze on the village periphery, and the community meets under the pipal tree in the central square as it has for generations. The Gurung have a proud military heritage — many are serving or retired Gurkha soldiers — and a sophisticated cosmological tradition expressed in elaborate spring and winter festivals. The trek delivers mountain scenery to match the cultural experience. The Tasha Viewpoint above Sikles at 2,100m frames Annapurna II, Lamjung Himal, Machhapuchhre, and Mardi Himal in a panorama that rewards the easy half-day hike. The forest trails between Kalikasthan and Sikles are genuinely pristine — bamboo groves, rhododendron forest, and the sound of the river below. For photographers, cultural enthusiasts, and anyone seeking quiet trails near Pokhara, Sikles is an undiscovered gem.

Highlights

Best Time to Trek Sikles

Difficulty & Fitness

Frequently Asked Questions